“Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done marvelous deeds.” I was watching the full moon rise slowly in the sky and I felt a sense of gratitude and joy, for the privilege of beholding the beauty of creation. And my heart woke up to the Creator and I felt connected with the entire universe and felt grateful that I am part of this wonderful universe. My heart sang a song of joy!

Given the focus on the negative in everything that we hear and watch, it is often difficult to focus on the positive things in life. Constant bombardment by such negativity leaves us depressed and before we know it, we are engulfed by a wave of negative thoughts. The challenge is to free ourselves of such negativity and open our eyes and hearts to the goodness around us. The Lord has done and continues to do marvelous deeds, but the focus on the darkness obscures our vision.

Those who have sung about the positive aspects of lives have not done always in the midst of happy events. The book of the Psalms, in the Bible, is a perfect example. Many of those psalms were written in the midst of misery and oppression. But the author of those poems had the inner vision to see beyond the immediate reality and behold the eternity. Even in the darkest hours of our lives there shines a tiny star to lead us on. Let not the clouds of negativity obscure it, but let the assurance of that star behind the clouds lead us on.

When we begin our day with thoughts of the creator of this vast expanse, we will find that joy and gratitude slowly percolate our spirit. Negativity has to give way to positivity and has to let our hearts loose to sing new songs, for the Lord continues to do marvelous deeds. Then will our lives be an eternal song of joy!